OF THE 17 people at high risk of contracting the Omicron variant of coronavirus after having contacts with the American tourist who is the country's first case, one has tested positive for infection but the variant is still being ascertained, Siam Rath newspaper said today ( Dec. 7).
Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha told reporters at Government House that the infected hotel worker had delivered food to the infected American man.
After he got a positive result his samples were sent to determine whether he had been infected with the Omicron strain and it will take three to four days to get the result. He is undergoing treatment at the Bamrasnaradura Institute.
Aside from possibly catching the infection from the American tourist, the hotel worker could have also got infected while visiting Ubon Ratchathani province recently, he added.
Meanwhile the ministry had said this morning there were 3,525 Covid cases and 31 deaths over the past 24 hours raising the cumulative confirmed total since April to 2,119,903 and from the onset of the pandemic 2,148,766, Sanook.com said.
The additional 31 fatalities increased the death toll to 20,997.
Another 6,109 patients were cured taking total recoveries since April to 2,033,948 while 66,395 are still undergoing treatment.